In certain communication networks, certain communication nodes in the network are not easily accessible for repairs in the event that equipment on the communication node experiences a failure. For example, communication nodes located in space are practically inaccessible and, as such, that failed equipment cannot be repaired. To prevent the failures from affecting the operation of the communication node, the communication equipment of the communication node includes standby equipment that increases the redundancy of any communication paths through the communication equipment. To control which communication paths are used through the communication equipment, a switch network is used to switch a communication path from failed equipment to standby equipment.
An example of a component in a switch network that is prone to failure is a low noise amplifier (LNA). Because LNAs are prone to failure, a communication node will include a number of spare amplifiers. For example, at any given time, the communication node may use at most M amplifiers, but the communication equipment may include N amplifiers such that when any of the M amplifiers experiences a failure, the switch network switches the communication path through one of the N amplifiers that is not currently active and switches the communication path away from the amplifier that failed. Other examples include redundant antenna systems and other RF redundancy schemes.
Often times, ferrite switches are used as switches in these switch networks for the variety of benefits they offer. Ferrite-based switches, as opposed to electro-mechanical switches, are often used in redundancy schemes in space because at higher frequencies ferrite-based switches decrease in size, whereas electro-mechanical switches do not. They are also reliable because there are no moving parts required, as opposed to the moving parts required in a mechanical switch.